The Big Clock (1948)

A chance encounter with his boss’ mistress leads to a crime reporter (Ray Milland) having to solve a murder where he is the prime suspect.

This is a difficult film to sum up both accurately and without spoilers. Our hero knows, or strongly suspects, who the murderer is, but that’s not where the evidence points. He frantically scrambles around trying to cover his tracks and collect evidence, while not tipping off the culprit or angering his wife.

The heartless boss is played to perfection by Charles Laughton. Wife Elsa Lanchester has a small but memorable role. Old friend Harry Morgan is quite menacing as a hired thug. He has no lines. OG Jane Maureen O’Sullivan is the reporter’s long suffering wife. IRL she was married to director John Farrow, parents of Mia.

Based on the Kenneth Fearing novel of the same name, the film added one element not present in the book: a big clock. In the book, the clock is just a metaphor, perhaps as a thinly veiled critique of Time Magazine, Fearing’s longtime employer. Time gave the book and the film glowing reviews.

The Big Clock is a better than fair crime thriller with some excellent performances. And it was a satisfying way for me to round out Noirvember. AMRU 4.

Rififi (1955)

Tony, recently released from prison, is talked into pulling one more heist. A team is assembled to break into the safe of a nearby jewelry store. Just like in all heist films, everyone lives happily ever after.

The actor hired to play the safecracker Caesar became unavailable, so director Jules Dassin stepped into his ballet shoes. Dassin was an American and directed The Naked City among others. Brief membership in the Communist Party got him blacklisted in Hollywood, so he moved to France and became more successful. By the mid 60s he was back working in the US.

There is a 32 minute heist sequence that is absolutely riveting. No dialog, no score, just the execution of the plan. So much is communicated by careful staging and meaningful glances. It’s brilliant.

Rififi is considered one of the great heist films. TCM’s Eddie Muller proclaimed it the best. The word rififi is loosely defined as trouble or violence. A stylish musical number titled Le Rafifi ties the title to the story. The number is quite good, actually. So is the film. AMRU 4.